Wind device for automatic musical instruments.



EIJ. LUSTER. WIND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION TILED MAR. 5, 1912.

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Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

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ATTORNEYS B. J. LUSTER. WIND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5. 1912.

1,077,843, Patent d Nov. 4, 1913.

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EMILE J'. LUSTER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WIND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1913.

Application filed March 5, 1912. Serial No. 681,736.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMILE J. LUSTER, a subject of the German Emperor, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Wind Device for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in rewinding devices for player pianos, and has for an object to provide an improved structure which may be caused to operate at any time for rewinding the roll quickly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air storage tank connected with a suitable pump associated with the ordinary pedals of a player piano, whereby the tank is adapted to be filled with compressed air as the player piano is operated in the usual manner, the storage tank being in connection with and co-acting with a motor mechanism associated with the rewinding spool and with a manually operated mechanism designed to direct compressed aid to the motor mechanism whenever it is designed to rotate the rewinding spool.

A still further obj ect of the invention is to provide an air motor connected with the rewinding spool and with acompressed air supplying tank, whereby when air is supplied to the motor, the rewinding spool is operating, the air supply tank being associated with manually controlled valves which control the supply of air admitted to the motor and also supplied with a compressor operated by the pedals during the playing of the piano.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying draw ings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through a piano having a player attached thereto and a rewinding device associated therewith, the rewinding device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a section through Fig. 1, approximately on line 2-2, the same being shown on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through a compressor and associated devices embodying certain features of the invention; Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 3 on line 1-1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates an ordinary player piano constructed in the usual manner and designed to operate in the usual manner, the construction and arrangement of the player piano not forming any part of the present invention and therefore only sufficient of the same has been shown to illustrate the operation of the rewinding device forming the subject matter of the present invention. Mounted in the housing of the player piano 1 is a roller 2 on which the music sheet 8 is wound, the roller 2 being of the usual construction. After the music sheet 3 has been wound on the roller 2 during the playing of the piano, and it is desired to rewind the same, the sheet is connected with a roller 1 in the usual manner, this roller being of the usual construction. The roller 4 carries a shaft 5, to which is rigidly secured the blades 6 of an air motor 7. The air motor 7 receives compressed air from a storage tank 8 through a pipe 9 whenever the valve 10 is unseated. Air passing through the motor 7 will rotate the blade 6 and the shaft 5, and consequently turn the roller A for rewinding the music sheet. The air after passing through the motor 7 exhausts into i a pipe 11 and from thence to any desirable discharge point, as for instance a muffler 12. Arranged in the pipe 9 near the motor 7 is a controlling slide valve 13, having connected therewith a link 14, to which is pivotally secured a lever 15. The lever 15 is pivotally mounted at 16, and has a ring 17 mounted on a spool 18. The spool 18 forms part of a speed regulator or controller 19. This regulator or controller is formed with balls 20 connected to pivotally mounted links in the usual manner, these links being pivotally mounted at one end to a sleeve 18 and at the opposite end to a sleeve 21. These sleeves are designed to rotate freely. The sleeve 18 is designed to reciprocate freely so as to move the lever 15 and thus cause more or less air to be admitted into the mo tor 7, as desired. A spring 22 is provided for resiliently resisting any considerable longitudinal movement of the sleeve 18. By the use of this controller the speed of the roller 4 will be limited even though the valve 10 is open wide. It will be evident of course, that if desired the valve 10 may be opened only slightly for causing the roller 1 to operate slowly.

The pipe 9 is in communication with the tank 8 which is arranged at a convenient point in the housing of the piano and which has connected or associated therewith an air compressor 23. The air compressor 23 is formed with a cylinder 24 (Fig. 3), an intake valve 25, an outlet valve 26, and a piston 27. Connected with the piston 27 is a pivotally mounted piston rod 28, formed with an olfset portion 29 designed to fit into a notch 30 formed in a reciprocating pressure member 31 fitted over a suitable guide 32. Pivotally mounted on the pressure member 31 is a link 33 which is pivotally mounted on the usual pedal 34 of the player piano so that when the player piano is operated playing a piece of music, the compressor 23 will be operated for forcing compressed air in the tank 8. It will of course be evident that the pedal 34 is connected by a suitable link 35 to the usual bellows 36 of the player piano for properly operating the same.

Pivotally mounted on the guide 32 is a bell crank lever construction 37. This bell crank lever is provided with an enlargement 38 adapted to remain at a lowered position when positively moved to that position, so that the arm 39 will remain directly beneath the piston rod 28 and hold the same elevated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Pivotally connected to the weighted end of the lever 37 is a rod 40 which is rigidly connected to a housing 41 having reciprocating therein a piston 42 connected with a rod 43. The rod 43 is pivotally mounted at 44 to a lever 45. The lever 45 is pivotally mounted at 46 to brackets connected with part of the piano 1. To the outer end of the lever 45 is pivotally connected a button 47 nor mally held elevated by a spring 48 which will consequently hold depressed the opposite end of the lever 45. At the opposite end of the lever 45 to the button 47, is con nected a link 49 pivotally connected with an arm 50 extending from the valve 10, whereby the valve may be opened whenever the button 47 is depressed. By the arrangement of the sliding piston connection 42, the lever 45 may be raised a short distance, and the link 49 is moved so that air may be caused to pass from the tank 8 to the pipe 9 without shifting the bell crank lever from its lowered position to its raised position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Then it is desired to throw the piston rod 28 into action and to cause the catch 29 to engage in the socket 30, the button 47 is depressed to its fullest extent, which will cause the piston 42 to engage the upper end of the housing 41 and to move the housing 41 upward together with the rod 40 and the weighted end of the lever 37, whereby the arm 39 will be depressed. This will cause a proper engagement between the power member 31 and the piston rod 28. After this connection has been made the operation of the pedals 34 will cause the compressor 23 to force air in the tank 8. After the compressed air in the tank 8 has been raised to a certain pressure, the valve 51 is automatically raised and some of the air is permitted to escape. The raisin of the valve 51 moves pivotally the lever 52 which moves a link 53 longitudinally, the link 53 being pivotally connected with the lever 52. The link 53 is pivotally connected at the point 54 to the lever 37 so that when the link 53 is moved downward, the weighted end 38 of the lever 37 will be moved downward and the arm 39 will be moved upward for raising the piston rod 28 to the dotted position shown in Fig. 3. This will disconnect the compressor from the pedals 34 so that a continued operation of the pedals will not in any way affect the compressor 23.

In operation the player piano is operated in the usual manner for playing music, and during the operation thereof the music sheet is unwound from one roll and wound upon another roll. At the same time that the bellows 36 is operated for providing air for the ordinary operation of the player piano, the compressor 23 is operated for providing compressed air in tank 8. If the tank 8 is filled with compressed air to the desired pressure before the sheet of music has been completed, the valve 51 will open and will cause the operation of the link and a disconnection of the piston rod 38 by moving the bell crank lever 37. After the sheet of music has been completely wound on the roller 2 in the usual manner, the operator ceases to move the pedal 34 and then proceeds to rewind by merely pressing the button 47 downward against the action of the spring 48, whereupon air will pass from the tank 8 into the pipe 9 and from thence through the motor 7. The motor 7 is connected directly with the roller 4, upon which the sheet of music is rewound so that upon a rotation of the blades 6 the sheet of music 3 will be rewound without the operator moving the pedal 34, the stored air acting as the power for causing the rewinding. In order to allow the rewinding of the sheet of music without causing a reverse action of the motor 55, a gear wheel 56 is slidably mounted upon a shaft 57 but is caused to rotate therewith by reason of a key or spline 58. The shaft 57 is rigidly connected with the roller 2 so that when the gear wheel 59 is operated by the moto' and is meshing with the gear wheel 56, the roller 2 is being rotated.

After the sheet of music 3 has been played, the operator ceases to move the pedals 34 so that the motor 55 will cease to move. Upon the depression of the button 47 the rod 60 will be moved upward. This will cause a movement of the bell crank lever 61 and a longitudinal movement of the link 62. The link 62 will be moved in such a direction as to swing the pivotally mounted lever 63 so that the wheel 56 will be moved longitudinally of the shaft 57 and thrown out of gear with the Wheel 59. In order to provide a proper connection of the lever 63 and the gear 56, the hub of the gear wheel 56 is provided with an annular groove 64 in which the end of the lever 63 rojects. If desired the lever 63 could be bi urcated and carry a ring fitting into the groove 64:. By this construction and arrangement it will be observed that the motor 7 is free to operate the roller at when the button 47 is depressed without being compelled to move the motor Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

- 1. In a device of the character described, an air compressor, a pivotally mounted piston rodconnected with the piston of said compressor, means detachably connected with said piston rod for actuating the same, a bell crank lever arranged so that one end will engage and raise said pivotally mounted piston red when the bell crank lever is moved to one direction, a tank for receiving compressed air from said compressor, a puppet valve connected with said tank and with said bell crank lever whereby said bell crank lever is actuated for moving pivotally said piston rod when said tank has received a predetermined amount of compressed air, a valve for regulating the How of compressed air from said tank, a manually operated lever for actuating said valve, and means connected with said manually operated lever and said bell crank lever for moving said bell crank lever in contact with said piston rod when said valve is opened.

2. In a wind device for automatic musical instruments, an air compressor, a pivotally mounted piston rod connected with the piston of said compressor, operating pedals, means connected with said pedals for moving said piston back and forth for causing a proper operation of the compressor, and means operated in said compressor for moving said piston rod pivotally whereby said piston rod is disengaged from the means connecting the same with said pedals.

3. In a wind device for automatic musical instruments, an air compressor, a pivotally mounted piston rod connected with the piston of said compressor, a hook member projecting from said piston, a slide formed with a notch for accommodating said hook member, operating pedals, means connected with said pedals and with said slide for moving said slide back and forth whereby said piston rod and said piston may be moved back and forth for causing the proper operation of the compressor, a tank for receiving the compressed air from said compressor, a puppet valve connected with said tank for relieving said tank when the pressure has reached a predetermined degree, a rod moved by said puppet valve, a pivotally mounted bell crank lever pivotally connected at one end with said rod and the opposite end arranged so as to actuate said piston rod .for raising the piston rod when the puppet valve is moved whereby the piston rod is disconnected from said slide when the pres sure in said tank has reached a predetermined extent.

4. In a wind device for automatic musical instruments, an air compressor, a pivotally mounted piston rod connected with the piston of said compressor, a hook member pro- 'jecting from said piston rod, a slide formed with a notch for accommodating said hook member, operating pedals, means connected with said pedals for moving said slide back and forth whereby said piston rod and said piston may be moved back and forth for causing the proper operation of the compressor, and means for moving said piston rod pivotally for causing said hook member to be disengaged from said slide whereby said compressor will be disconnected from said pedals.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMILE J. LUSTER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. HORN, JAMES BLAKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

